The story behind Lionel Messi's black cloak

+ podcasts: climate change's effect on trade, architecture and sea level rise US Edition - Today's top story: Lionel Messi's black cloak: a brief history of the bisht, given to the superstar after his World Cup triumph [View in browser]( US Edition | 22 December 2022 [The Conversation] [The Conversation]( Last summer, the team that produces the Conversation Weekly podcast took a break to think about how to build upon the success of our first year covering the big ideas that matter today. After relaunching in the fall, we’ve produced some fascinating episodes that not only tell an engaging story, but also leave the listener better equipped to understand the news and events of the coming year. Myself, my co-host, Gemma Ware, and our producer, Mend Mariwany, have each selected our favorite episode from the last few months. While we clearly had climate change on our minds, the episodes cover some very different ground. Daniel Merino, Co-Host: Today, sea level rise can feel like one of the symptoms of climate change that hasn’t quite shown its face yet. The key word there is “yet.” In this episode I spoke with three experts who study the Thwaites Glacier in Antarctica to learn about how some unique geography, the physics of ice and climate change have all come together to produce a [looming threat](. Gemma Ware, Co-Host + Executive Producer: Buried in many trade deals are a bureaucratic device called an investor-state dispute settlement mechanism, or ISDS. As environmental governance expert Kyla Tienhaara explained, ISDS clauses were originally supposed to “protect the interests of multinational companies from the global north when they were operating in these newly decolonized parts of the world.” But today ISDS clauses are frequently being used by oil companies to [sue countries taking climate action]( for vast sums of money. The case we covered in the episode is just one of many examples of this ongoing problem. Mend Mariwany, Interim Executive Producer: The global north has exported many things to the rest of the world, including the large steel, glass and cement buildings that make up most modern cities. But as the three experts in this episode explain, modern construction has [disregarded traditional architectural ideas that can be much better suited for hotter environments](. As the world warms due to climate change, Middle-eastern wind catchers and African designs that mirror ant hills may have a place in city centers around the globe. Also today: - [The ethics of Trump’s approach to gaming byzantine tax policy]( - [How the West flipped to the Democrats]( - [LGBTQ Americans more likely to be targeted for hate crimes]( Daniel Merino Associate Science Editor & Co-Host of The Conversation Weekly Podcast Today's newsletter supported by [readers like you.]( Argentina’s Lionel Messi is honored with a cloak prior to receiving the World Cup trophy at Lusail Stadium in Lusail, Qatar, on Dec. 18, 2022. AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis [Lionel Messi’s black cloak: a brief history of the bisht, given to the superstar after his World Cup triumph]( Pardis Mahdavi, The University of Montana A scholar of Middle Eastern cultural traditions explains the history and significance of the bisht. - [How Democrats won the West]( John A. Tures, LaGrange College Democrats have ridden the West to presidential electoral success since 1992, reversing their poor performances from the 1950s through the 1980s. - [Is Donald Trump’s tax avoidance ethical or honorable? 4 essential reads]( Bryan Keogh, The Conversation A House committee released details of Trump’s tax returns from his time in office – and they show he paid zilch in 2020. - [LGBTQ Americans are 9 times more likely to be victimized by a hate crime]( Andrew Ryan Flores, American University; Ilan Meyer, University of California, Los Angeles; Rebecca Stotzer, University of Hawaii For the first time. researchers have been able to produce estimates of the rate of hate crimes against LGBTQ people. Podcasts 🎙️ The edge of the Thwaites Glacier extends into the Amundsen Sea in western Antarctica. NASA [Thwaites Glacier: the melting, Antarctic monster of sea level rise]( Daniel Merino, The Conversation; Gemma Ware, The Conversation If and when the Thwaites Glacier melts, it will result in nearly 0.6 metres of sea level rise, but it holds back another three metres of sea level rise lurking within the Antarctic continent. Listen to The Conversation Weekly podcast. - [Keep buildings cool as it gets hotter by resurrecting traditional architectural techniques]( Gemma Ware, The Conversation; Daniel Merino, The Conversation Follow The Conversation Weekly podcast for new episodes every Thursday. - [A secretive legal system lets fossil fuel investors sue countries over policies to keep oil and gas in the ground]( Gemma Ware, The Conversation; Daniel Merino, The Conversation Experts are concerned that a legal mechanism called investor-state dispute settlement could affect countries’ moves to cut fossil fuel emissions. Listen to The Conversation Weekly. Trending on site - [Holiday foods can be toxic to pets – a veterinarian explains which, and what to do if Rover or Kitty eats them]( - [What the criminal referral of Trump means – a constitutional law expert explains the Jan. 6 committee action]( - [That annoying ringing, buzzing and hissing in the ear – a hearing specialist offers tips to turn down the tinnitus]( - - More of The Conversation: Like this newsletter? You might be interested in our weekly and biweekly emails: • [Weekly Highlights]( • [Science Editors' Picks]( • [This Week in Religion]( • [Politics Weekly]( • [Global Perspectives]( • [Global Economy & Business]( - - About The Conversation: We're a nonprofit news organization dedicated to [helping academic experts share ideas with the public](. We can give away our articles thanks to the help of foundations, universities and readers like you. 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